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Appearance and Character

Daemon was tall and powerful, with broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a flat stomach. Targaryen on both sides, Daemon had all the hallmarks of his house. He had strong Targaryen features, with deep purple eyes and silver-gold hair which he wore long, flowing down to his shoulders in a silvery-gold mane. He always went clean-shaven, with neither beard nor mustache. Almost inhumanly beautiful, Daemon looked every inch the warrior, and many thought that he strongly resembled portraits of Aegon the Conqueror.[2]

His armor was ornate and costly, all black and red plate, and his warhelm was distinctive, with batlike steel "dragon wings" on the sides.

Daemon matured into a man of considerable charm and strength, mastering all weapons of the battlefield, but with the sword Blackfyre in hand he was said to fight like the Warrior himself. He won friends easily and women were drawn to him.[2]

The identity of his father was kept secret until his twelfth birthday, when Daemon distinguished himself during a tourney melee by besting a score of other squires. Afterwards, his father, King Aegon IV, acknowledged Daemon as his bastard son and presented him with Blackfyre, the Valyrian steel sword of Targaryen kings.

He took the name of Blackfyre for his house and displayed the inverted Targaryen arms, a black three-headed dragon on red.

Blackfyre Rebellion

Although King Aegon IV Targaryen legitimized all his bastards on his deathbed, Daemon did not rebel until twelve years after his father's death.

Upon the death of King Aegon, Daeron agreed to pay the dowry the late King had promised the Archon of Tyrosh so his daughter could wed Daemon. Daemon, it was said, did not want this marriage but eventually decided to honor his late father's wishes. On his wedding day, Daeron granted him a tract of land on which he could build a castle. Daemon and his wife eventually had seven sons together. [3]

There are some who say that it was the wedding of Princess Daenerys to the Dornish Prince Maron Martell that led to the First Blackfyre Rebellion. It was said Daemon loved her and she him and that the rebellion happened because she was denied to him by Daeron.[4][5] Daemon was present at Daenerys' wedding and took part in the tourney held in celebration. During this tourney, he was unhorsed in the final tilt by Prince Baelor, who would be named "Breakspear" from that day forth. While Daenerys' wedding took place in 187 AC, Daemon wouldn't rebel for another eight years.[3]

Leading to his revolt were his growing resentment at being a bastard and surrounding himself with councilors who urged him to make his claim (mainly his half-brother, Aegor Rivers and his friend Quentyn "Fireball" Ball).[6] They fed Daemon rumors that his half-brother was not the son of Aegon IV, but of Aemon Targaryen. Daemon, as a Targaryen on both sides and a legitimized heir to the throne, was a logical choice to replace the academic king. Daemon, they said, was a better man and a better king.

Daemon claimed the Iron Throne as Aegon IV's true heir, and led a rebellion against King Daeron.

Daemon attracted many followers with his martial skill and his possession of Blackfyre. He was called the King Who Bore the Sword. Many who disliked the Dornish influence and academic nature of Daeron's court preferred Daemon's rugged charisma and apathy toward learning and religion. According to Ser Eustace Osgrey of Standfast, all the great knights of the realm gathered to him:[5]

The decisive battle of the war was fought on the Redgrass Field. According to Eustace, who fought on the rebels' side, Daemon fought "like the Warrior himself". He defeated Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard in single combat. Then, instead of attacking Prince Maekar's forces, he defended the wounded Corbray and had him carried off the field.

In the meantime, Brynden Rivers and his personal guard of archers, the Raven's Teeth, had found a spot from which they could rain their arrows down upon Daemon's position. Daemon and his twin 12-year-old sons, Aemon and Aegon, were killed. With this, the chance of victory for the rebels was gone.[5]